Every 12.5 minutes, an American life is claimed by the opioid epidemic. To date, more than 2 million American lives have been lost to this crisis. And it doesn’t stop there.

According to one study, an “increased dose of opioids was found to be a marker of increased suicide risk,” while “overdose accounts for approximately 15–20% of all suicides.” Our American workforce has also taken a blow, with 25% of job applicants nationwide failing drug tests last year.

The opioid epidemic is not selective among education levels, ethnicities, geography, or socioeconomic status. This unrelenting epidemic has spread to every inch of our nation, forming a tight grip, and refusing to let go.

This week, House Republicans stared into the eyes of this beast and said, “Enough.”

Led by our Republican majority, the House of Representatives passed 25 bills that directly combat our nation’s opioid crisis. These pieces of legislation help to stem the growing tide of opioid-related deaths and restore the thousands of lives devasted by this public health crisis.

We thank the Republican-led House for leading the fight against the opioid crisis. As Speaker Paul Ryan said, “The time is now: We need to step up and fight the opioid epidemic from all sides.”